(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump on Thursday gave South Korea the green light to build a nuclear-power submarine, something that gives Seoul a potential entry into an elite list of nations with such vessels.

Seoul's nuclear-powered submarine is slated to be built in a Philadelphia shipyard, where South Korean firms have upped their investment.

"South Korea will be building its Nuclear Powered Submarine in the Philadelphia Shipyards, right here in the good ol' U.S.A. Shipbuilding in our Country will soon be making a BIG COMEBACK. Stay tuned!!! (sic)," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

US President Donald Trump's Truth Social post green lighting the project. Also Read | Trump to meet Xi in South Korea amid global jitters - Key things to watch

The US President, who met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and other regional leaders during his visit, also said Seoul had agreed to purchase large quantities of US oil and gas.

Trump's announcement marks a significant departure from American policy on nuclear-powered submarines: despite Lee's predecessors aspiring to build nuclear-powered submarines, the US had opposed the idea for decades.

The US President's announcement, essentially admitting Seoul to the elite club, also comes at a time when outreach efforts with North Korea have failed: Trump said on Wednesday that he had not been able to arrange a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Earlier, Pyongyang had test fired a cruise missile linked to its 'nuclear forces' ahead of Trump's arrival in South Korea.

Also Read | Donald Trump-Xi Jinping to meet today amid trade tensions: What to expect? When will South Korea get its nuclear-powered submarine?

Although plans to make the submarine have been greenlit, there's no clarity on when the work will begin.

Reuters reported that South Korea's Industry Ministry officials had not been involved in any detailed discussions about building a nuclear-powered submarine in Philadelphia.

Further, the news agency reported that Trump did not spell out where the sub's propulsion technology would come from, which only a handful of countries currently possess, adding that the US has thus far only shared said technology with Britain back in the 1950s.

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